It is often been necessary to collect various biological specimens such a whole blood, plasma, serum, CFS, feces, urine, cultured cells, saliva, cervical or urethral swab, sputum and other biological fluids. Multiple individual samples are collected and transported to a laboratory where personnel conduct specific tests on the samples. It is imperative that the biological samples be properly contained, enclosed and identified to permit the safe transport of the sample.
Collected samples must be adequately isolated, packaged and identified to permit the safe, efficient and identifiable transport of the samples to the laboratory while preventing contamination of the samples. It is therefore desirable to provide an improved packaging which allows for the collection transport and dispensing of individual discrete samples from a plurality of collected samples.
There are a number of different systems which are used for holding biological samples. One of those systems is a multi-well tray or plate. Typical multi-well trays include 96 wells each of which holds a different biological sample. There are also trays which hold larger numbers of samples in larger numbers of wells. Further, some trays are designed to incorporate micro-wells which hold very small amounts of materials such as a single cell. Because the wells are very small it is possible to include a large number of wells in a relatively small area. The present invention utilizes well trays which include very large numbers of wells in a very small area in combination with other components which make it possible to analyze the materials within the wells efficiently and accurately.